


The Way She Looks at Him

by aj_linguistik



Series: October Prompt Challenge [1]
Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/M, Love Confessions, Masked ball, October Prompt Challenge, One Shot, formal ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aj_linguistik/pseuds/aj_linguistik
Summary: He only wants to be the first man to dance with her at the masked ball. Or at least, that's what he says.
Relationships: Son Hak/Yona
Series: October Prompt Challenge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949194
Comments: 9
Kudos: 56





	The Way She Looks at Him

**Author's Note:**

  * For [disasterbiKirito](https://archiveofourown.org/users/disasterbiKirito/gifts).



> A/N: Hello! This fandom has likely never seen the likes of me before! I'm doing an October prompt challenge where there was a prompt-list I nabbed from a mutual in another fandom and I gave that list to my partner. He pitches the idea to me based off of the prompts, and I am writing the idea based off of what he gives me (however many or few those details are). So, day 1 was my OTP, and HakYona is a ship I simply cannot break, even as a multishipper. I hope my first try at them is a decent one!!

The door of the carriage opened to a glittering night scene filled with twinkling stars, scintillating lamps, and sparkling jewels. The cool evening air had a fresh scent to it that mingled with lavish perfumes. All that was missing was the bustling of people too rich to care that these festivities took up a full night’s sleep—they were all likely in the inner courtyard, already enthralled with dance and conversation and drink. A few of the ball guests climbed the stairs to the palace now, the ladies lifting their skirts to walk and the gentlemen taking their hands to help steady them.

Somewhere in this fanciful madness and elegance was the princess.

As Hak thought about what she might be wearing to such an event, he felt his usual poker face starting to fail him. It was quite alright here, after all. No one could see him. They would not be looking at his humble carriage. He only had one because he was a royal guard and a member of the Son family. As far as nobles went, they were perhaps the lowest on the tier. He’d done his very best to look his part for the occasion, though the stuffy attire of the upper class never quite felt comfortable to him. He cleared his throat, adjusted his collar, and drew in a deep breath. This was no time to be falling apart. This was his chance to try and dance with her.

“Don’t fall apart now!” Tae-woo, his unfortunate choice of a driver, said. “We’ll have to come and collect you from inside the palace!”

A snicker sounded from beside him. Han-dae had accompanied him, if only to temporarily shirk his duties. Hak turned around and gave the two a glare. He pointed a warning finger at the both of them.

“Show your faces in there and cause a situation and I _will_ report that to Mundok,” he said.

The two showed no sign of being intimidated at all. They simply continued snickering as they nodded in acknowledgement of his words. Hak sighed and finally stepped down onto the gravel road. His boots gave a satisfying crunch—perhaps the only thing satisfying about this outfit. Han-dae leaned around the front of the carriage this time, giving him a broad smile.

“Good luck wooing the princess!” he teased.

Hak whirled around to give him another piece of his mind, but the two had already taken off down the drive. He was now alone, in a sense. No one else from his house was going to be here, save for (and he hoped not) Mundok. He reached into his coat and removed the mask he’d purchased for the event. Before he went inside, he’d need to be wearing this. It was a masquerade, after all. He slipped it over his eyes and tied it behind his head, and then he was off up the stairs, taking them slowly to try and mimic the pace of the others climbing them.

The mask he’d chosen matched four other masks worn by the other guards. They each selected the shape of a dragon’s snout, and each guard was a different color. Kija wore white, Shin-ah wore blue, Jae-ha wore green, Zeno wore yellow, and Hak wore black. The masks were all covered in sequins that caught the light enough to reflect it but not blind the other guests. Because of this matching scheme, Princess Yona would know these were her guards even if she couldn’t tell by their stature. He doubted that she would be clueless even if they wore different masks, thought—the concern had been raised by Kija, not him.

He felt strange beneath the mask as he climbed the stairs. Other guests would dip their heads as he passed by. He realized his pace had quickened—by now, it was too late to change it. He was nearing the top. At the door, someone was checking invitations on the list. He reached into his coat again and produced the parchment that permitted him entry to this lavish affair. He handed it to the man at the door, who glanced at it, then up at him, and then flippantly waved his hand inwards, indicating that he was free to pass. Hak gave a slight bow and continued into the hall.

There was no need for him to be escorted or told where to go, since his work allowed him to know every corner of the palace that the princess knew. Still, he slipped in with the stream of people wandering aimlessly as they chatted and laughed. They would all end up in the main courtyard sooner or later.

The crowd snaked through the halls without clear direction for a few minutes, and then finally, they all spilled out into the courtyard. This place, too, was filled with dazzling lights and jewels. Along the edges of the area, tables were set with hors d’oeuvres and sparkling ciders. Hak scanned the room, looking around for his beloved princess, hoping to catch a glimpse of her beautiful crimson hair.

“I’m afraid she hasn’t come out yet.”

Hak turned his head to see Jae-ha leaning up against the wall. He was sipping cider from a tall glass with a smug expression on his face. He must have known that Hak would look for her as soon as he entered the courtyard.

“Relax for a moment,” Jae-ha said. “Eat something, have a drink, or go dance with someone.”

He huffed at the other guard.

“I’m only interested in the princess’ safety,” he said. “I don’t have time to be doing frivolous things. I need to be ready when she arrives.”

Jae-ha laughed.

“Still denying it to us, then?” he said. “We’re off-duty tonight, ‘Dark Dragon.’ You’re allowed to enjoy yourself by socializing while you wait to make a move on the princess.”

Hak gave him a dangerous glare. As with Tae-woo and Han-dae, Jae-ha was unbothered by his attempt at making him shut up. He supposed their reasons for not fearing him were vastly different, but it still irked him that he knew Jae-ha would continue to talk regardless. He set his jaw and marched away from him to grab a drink.

Perhaps what bothered him the most was that Jae-ha, more so than the other three guards, was the most perceptive and persistent about the matter of his feelings for Yona. Jae-ha read him like an open book. He knew he was right when he teased about Hak being in love with the princess. Because he knew he was right, he was always prying and trying to get Hak to admit these feelings—both to the other guards and to Yona herself. Why couldn’t he just leave well enough alone? Yona was a princess. He was one of the lowest-ranking nobles in Kouka. He would be satisfied with just this chance to dance with her.

He turned his eyes to the main entryway and waited for her as he sipped at his cider. The party around him turned into a blur. The sounds of people talking, the glinting of the lights and stars, and even the feeling of the carbonation on his tongue seemed distant as he focused in on the spot, waiting patiently for his beloved to appear.

At long last, the din of the ball came to a stop. He only noticed because Jae-ha was once again near him, coughing into his elbow to grab his attention. Hak kept his eyes on the entrance. All heads were turned in the same direction. King Il entered the room, with Yona holding his left hand. On her left, her cousin, Prince Su-won stood close by, smiling faintly and pleasantly as he often did. Hak shook his head and hurried to the base of the stairs, waiting to greet her with his excuse being his position as her guard.

He watched her as she stepped down the stairs carefully. Her dress was a brilliant red to match her hair. It was inlaid with sequins and jewels that dazzled the eyes, and the fabric of the dress was printed with floral patterns and fine golden threads. He could not tell what her mask was until she stood immediately in front of them, and by then he could not help but to unleash a laugh that disrupted the awed silence.

“A red dragon, princess? Are you trying to match us?” he laughed.

She puffed up her cheeks and let go of her father to reach over and bop his arm with her small fist.

“I think it’s quite fitting for us all to match!” she said.

Beside her, King Il laughed and shook his head.

“She insisted that her mask match those of her favorite guards,” he said.

Hak drew in a deep breath and shook his head. He offered one hand to Yona. Her eyes widened a bit with surprise.

“May I have the first dance?” he asked.

She glanced back at her father and cousin for a moment, her cheeks flushing red, and then turned back to Hak as they both urged her to go on. She slipped her gloved hand in his and he pulled her aside him as he led her to the center of the courtyard where there was space for dancing. The music started back up slowly, resuming the joyful tune it had been keeping before the royal family entered.

“You look nice tonight, princess,” Hak said.

Yona smiled.

“Why thank you, Hak,” she said. “You look very nice yourself.”

He smirked, unable to keep his mischievous side from surfacing.

“Now, try not to step on my toes while we dance,” he said, placing his hand on her hip.

Once again, she gave him that look that told him his teasing was effective. He’d never admit it to her, but he loved when she made that face. It was a loving face, one that deep-down understood that he was only poking at her, but it was also one that she couldn’t help but make in her flustered state.

“Why do you have to be such a meanie, Hak!” she said. “And after I gave you a compliment!”

He chuckled.

“You’re just so much fun to tease, princess,” he said. “You really shouldn’t leave yourself open like that.”

She knit her brow, trying to think up a rebuttal. He was right that she often wasn’t prepared for his teasing, even after knowing him since they were both very young children. But as they swayed back and forth in time with the music, she could clearly think of nothing to say in return to this remark. It was either that, or she’d become too swept up in the dancing to think about it any longer.

Her dancing was smooth and elegant, much like her upbringing had shaped every other facet of her being. She knew all of the steps, and it was often he, not her, who mis-stepped or went in the wrong direction. This didn’t seem to bother her at all; she laughed every time he was off in some manner. He wanted to be irritated at how much he was ruining the dance, but her smile melted away those frustrations, rendering them as if they’d never happened at all.

After some time, the music started to slow down. Hak saw Jae-ha and a few other guards by the wall talking from over Yona’s shoulder. Jae-ha looked over at him and nodded, grinning as if he were right about something. Had Hak really spent the whole evening stealing Yona away from other royals who might desire a dance with her? He felt the sudden need to scan the room for vexed suitors, but Jae-ha shook a finger as his eyes started to wander. He glanced over to a less-crowded area that led further into the garden.

“Princess, would you come with me?” he asked.

Yona blinked at him in surprise for a second time this evening. She nodded her head slightly. It was enough of a confirmation that he felt comfortable leading her through the crowd and out into the garden alone. Unlike the courtyard and the palace, this part of the royal estate was not lit up and sparkling. Only the night sky shone above it. Hak navigated the garden until they were standing on a small pavilion that the moon’s light also touched. He led her over to the railing that looked out over a small koi pond and he released a stressed breath.

“Social events are too much,” he muttered.

He turned to Yona. Her face was bright red, and she was fiddling with her dress. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what had her looking so nervous as she stared down at the trim of the gown. He approached her, and she let out a gasp.

“I…I’m not sure if I’m ready, Hak!” she exclaimed.

He blinked at her.

“What?” he said.

She scrunched up her face and waved her hands at her sides.

“To get married! We haven’t even courted!” she cried.

Hak immediately doubled over with laughter as she insisted that nothing about this was funny. He had to compose himself, but it was difficult to say what made him laugh so. Perhaps it was the misunderstanding itself. Perhaps it was how flustered and cute she looked as she considered this to be where this was going. He drew in another deep breath, trying to calm himself, and then he shook his head.

“I’m not _that_ impulsive,” he said. “What the hell made you think I was proposing?”

She twiddled with her fingers.

“J-Jae-ha said…” she stammered.

He sighed and shook his head.

“I should have known that slick bastard would try to stir things up,” he said, sighing.

Yona seemed to relax a bit.

“So, you’re not here to ask for my hand?” she said.

He shook his head.

“No,” he said. “But I suppose I am here to admit my feelings.”

Her eyes widened just a touch.

“Ahh, dammit, what am I saying?” he muttered. “Maybe the ball’s gotten to my head or something. You’re a princess, and it’s my job to protect you. Nothing more.”

Yona came over to his side and placed a hand on his arm.

“It’s okay, Hak,” she said, her cheeks almost the color of her hair. “I-I love you, too.”

The two turned to look at one another for a moment, and then both turned away again to hide their flushed cheeks in their elbows. Hak felt a bit of his pride taking a stab as he realized he was hiding the same way she was. He turned back to her and gently took one hand in his.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have a dashing prince?” he said, smiling to break the tension he felt building up in his chest. “There’s a good number of fine suitors out there waiting for you that have good families and more power than I do.”

For a third time, Yona puffed up her cheeks in frustration at him.

“Jeez, Hak!” she said. “You’re such a big dummy!”

He laughed. He sure did love the way she made that face at him.

_You too, princess._


End file.
